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Lorelai kept a steady eye on the frail, beautiful blonde making her way down the sidewalk towards her. She tried not to betray herself, fighting mightily to keep her eyes locked on the crystal white mountains looming so majestically in the distance, but the remarkable blonde nearing her was no match for her. Can there ever really be such a thing as safely in the closet?

The blonde was now only a few feet in front of her. Lorelai's heart skipped a beat. Struggling to eye the blonde askance, while at the same time eyeing a pair of brown pumps in a shoe store that lined the picturesque boulevard that served as Everwood's main street, proved too much. In her disorientation, she wasn't watching where she was going. Suddenly - whump! - the vision before her became substance, solid, real. Lorelai had crashed into the blonde.

Lorelai was startled for a brief second, but that was it. No. Big. Deal. But for the other end of the thump, it was a big deal. The object of Lorelai's brief obsession screamed in pain, grabbing her shoulder where Lorelai's shoulder had met hers.

"Why don't you watch the hell where you're going, you idiot!" the woman yelled.

My, how lust and longing can turn on its head in a flash! Lorelai, feeling her blood rise, was ready to tear into the woman with a volley of four letter words. The woman, however, slumped down in pain on one knee. "Damn, she really is hurt," Lorelai thought to herself.

"I'm sorry. I didn't see you. Here, let me help you up."

The woman's face softened a bit. Her eyes met Lorelai's.

"Okay."

Lorelai's soft, caring hand took hers. Lorelai could feel a shock go through her system at the touch. She lifted the woman up.

"Gently. Gently." The woman said.

She was finally erect, though still holding her left shoulder.

"I bruise easy, that's all."

"Maybe you should see a doctor."

The woman laughed out loud.

"Physician, heal thyself. Right?"

Lorelai looked at her, perplexed. The woman reached out a hand to shake hers.

"Linda. Doctor Linda Abbott."

"Ohhh... I'm Lorelai."

"Well, Lorelai, this is one hell of a way to meet, wouldn't you say?"

"Yeah."

Linda's eyes studied the tall brunette in front of her. The sparkle in her eye indicated she liked what she saw.

"Well, Lorelai, you must be new around here. You certainly are not a person I'd forget."

"I hope that's a compliment --"

"It is."

"Actually, I'm here on vacation."

"Oh, well, you've made a great choice. Everwood has its quirks --"

"I've noticed."

"But it also has a certain rustic charm. Of course, some people might say the same thing of a stable, but that's another story."

Lorelai laughed.

"I like your laugh. Strong. Sensuous. I've always said you can tell a lot about a person by the way they laugh."

"And what can you tell about me?"

"Well, that you're... Hmm. Maybe some things are better left unsaid."

Lorelai raised an eyebrow. Linda turned towards the shoe store. She grimaced.

"Can I help you somewhere?" Lorelai asked.

"I have a place above the shoe store. It's not much, but... home..."

"Oh."

"Well, I'll be on my way. Please, enjoy Everwood. It's a lovely town."

Dr. Abbott put her key in the door that led to the stairway up to her apartment. But her hand shook so violently she couldn't get the key in. Lorelai had already started down the sidewalk. Instinctively, she turned around. She saw Linda's predicament. She rushed back to her.

"Let me."

"No. I'm okay."

"You obviously are not okay. I'll help."

Lorelai took the key from her. She opened the door.

"It can be so damn frustrating at times... Sometimes I shake... It's nothing."

"Oh."

Lorelai put her arm around Linda's waist.

"C'mon. Upsy daisy."

They started up the stairs.

"You're very kind... It's embarrassing... Can't even make it up a flight of stairs..."

Lorelai helped the frail, vulnerable doctor into her apartment. Gazing into Linda's eyes, Lorelai could tell there was more wrong with her that the pain of a simple collision on a sidewalk.

They made their way into the living room.

"Would you like some tea," Linda said, now walking on her own. Being in her apartment seemed to give her a jolt of energy. She headed for the kitchen.

"Coffee, if you don't mind. Black."

"Oh, you're a java junkie. You know, a lot of people don't know, caffeine is an aphrodisiac."

Lorelai smiled uncomfortably.

"It'll just be a minute. So tell me, where are you from?"

"The land that time forgot."

"Huh?"

"It's called Stars Hollow. Connecticut. Just picture Everwood, only zanier and wackier."

"That's scary. Frightening to think there might be place wackier than this flea hole... You know, actually, I think I've heard of Stars Hollow. The name sounds familiar."

"Perhaps you know a Doctor Andy Brown?

"Uh, now it makes sense. Andy was telling me about this place called Stars Hollow that he visited the last time he was back east. Made it sound like something out of a postcard. I take it you met him there and he told you about Everwood?"

"Well, he wasn't shy about the cheerleading, I'll say that much."

"Sounds like him."

"He stayed at my inn."

"Oh, you have your own inn?"

"Yes. It's called the Dragonfly. I opened it not too long ago. After all the work of getting it off the ground and up and running, I was burned out. Figured I needed a little vacation. And here I am."

Linda turned sober.

"I guess we all need time off... every now and then..."

The tea pot began to whistle. Linda made her tea, and poured Lorelai's coffee in a cup. She walked back to the living room and sat down next to Lorelai on the sofa.

Lorelai took a sip.

"Hmm. This is delicious. What did you put in here?"

"Sorry. Secret. It was taught to me by a tribesman in Guinea. He learned it from a Swedish missionary."

"Tell me. Please. Please. Pleeease."

Lorelai pouted and made little cat's paws. Linda relented.

"Alright. If you insist."

They walked into the kitchen. Linda took some spices out of the cupboard.

"You just pour your coffee. Then you add a pinch of cinnamon, like this."

"Okay."

"Then another pinch of malagueta pepper. Just a tiny pinch. And wala, that's it."

Lorelai took a sip. She nodded her approval.

"Okay, now this malagueta pepper. I've never heard of that. Where can I get it?"

"You can't. It's virtually impossible to find outside of Africa. Here, you can take mine."

"No, I couldn't."

"I want you to have it. It's a gift. From me to you."

Lorelai took it. They stared knowingly into each other's eyes. Lorelai moved forward, her lips almost touching her. Linda turned away.

"I think we should sit down," Linda said abruptly.

Linda broke away and walked into the living room and sat down. Suddenly, she started to cough - a violent, ghastly cough. Lorelai started for the sofa, but then her attention was caught by a bureau across the room. She walked over to it. On it was a plethora of medicine bottles. She picked up one after the other. She scanned the names. Revivo... AZT... Nevirapine...

Lorelai's heart sank in horror. She walked with the bottles back to Linda and sat across from her. She placed the bottles on the coffee table in front of her.

"Please tell me these are for a patient."

Linda's eyes were filled with nothing but sadness.

"Remember when I told you, physician, heal thyself?"

Linda could virtually here the sound of Lorelai's heart breaking. She rose and sat next to Lorelai, putting a hand on her shoulder, comforting her.

"It's all right. I'm all right."

Lorelai stared at her. They both knew that was a lie. Linda began to cough again.

"Can I get you something?" Lorelai asked.

Linda laughed so hard it hurt.

"The one thing I need the most... time... Aye, there's the rub. Isn't it?"

Linda rose, stretching. She then sat back down.

"You want to know what happened?... You see, I've done missionary work all over the world. I was in the Congo a few years back doing relief work. I mean, think about it. Millions of innocent civilians caught up in a vicious civil war. Death, suffering, on a scale you cannot imagine.

"In one of the villages there was a little boy who had contracted aids. He had been abandoned by his parents to die. I found him, and seeing him covered in sores and bleeding, I realized what his condition was and why he had been left there. I wrapped him in a blanket and cradled him in my arms, trying to comfort him during what I knew were his last hours. Finally, he passed. However, what I hadn't realized, was that earlier, during one of the artillery bombardments, I had been wounded in the arm. The open wound had come in contact with the boy. And that's how I got aids."

"Oh, I am so sorry."

"I went on a cocktail like you're suppose to do. And I was doing fine for a while..."

"But now..."

Linda was silent. Lorelai took her in her arms and embraced her fiercely.

"Lorelai, you are a very kind person."

Linda ran her hand across Lorelai's face.

"I've traveled all over the world. Lived the kind of life most people can only dream of. I don't have any regrets. But it has been lonely at times. I've lived a very lonely life in many ways."

Linda gazed deeply into Lorelai's eyes. She moved forward to kiss her. Lorelai hesitated.

"Lorelai, I don't want to lie to you. I don't know how much time I have left. I guess you could say this is my final hoorah, my last chance at happiness."

Linda moved forward again. This time Lorelai moved forward too. They kissed. A perfect moment.

"If this is it, if this is how it ends, I can live with this."

They kissed again.

Lorelai continued to cradle her in her arms. Finally, Linda's eyes slowly began to close. Lorelai could feel the life draining away. She died in Lorelai's arms.

The End